The Man Who Dared
by Nowun
Summary: Cellorin is a much younger Gandalf, that steps into the Wheel of Time from Outside.


Endless Reflections of the Wheel of Time Fiction of Fiction  
  
As told by Nowun  
  
"What could have been is the hidden fear in all men's hearts, and the deepest desires of their souls."  
  
The Man Who Dared  
  
Egwene had succeeded in escaping Sheriam, and her endless petitions. In her hurry to get away from Sheriam, she had forgotten to drape a cloak around herself to fight off the winter coldness. Egwene felt goose bumps rising off her bare arms, as she briskly worked to put distance between herself and her tent. She could see her breath as she stalked through walkways made by the continuous rows of tents housed by Aes Sedai and their attendants. The sky was dismal, concealing, and gray. It had not broken since the rightful White Tower had arrived at Dragonmount. She stalked past Aes Sedai and Accepted alike. The Aes Sedai was peering at her through the corner of their eyes, and the Accepted hurried to do chores or the bidding of their Aes Sedai mentors. It made Egwene walk even faster. It was not good to see the Amyrlin leisurely passing the time as others worked to prepare for the siege on Tar Valon. Her soft slippers sent a flurry of snow into the air to mark her path. In reaching the edge of Aes Sedai camp, she finally relented in running from Sheriam.  
  
I wasn't exactly running, not really, she thought. I was merely getting far enough away to catch some fresh air, she assured herself. The last few days had been tiring on Egwene. Now that the siege was surely underway an impossible avalanche of paperwork had seem to make its way to Egwene. From what to do about the bridge cities, to how to mount defenses for their temporary settlement, and the imminent problem of the army's pay, these were the problems faced by Egwene. She sighed, and gazed at the tree line. From her view on the slopes of Dragonmount she could vaguely see the shape of the White Tower. All that stood between the Aes Sedai camp and Tar Valon was a large forest that looked like patch of stunted brown hair. The White Tower, a symbol of Aes Sedai mystery, power, and unwavering stability, and she was planning to lay siege to it. It was public knowledge that every siege laid upon Tar Valon had proven futile and failed under dramatic proportions. The secret recorded history locked away in the White Tower told otherwise; it could be done. Her eyes skimmed the tree line, trying not to stare at the ominous white column that was the White Tower. It seemed to stand defiantly in her face, as if daring to do its worst. As if proudly laying its head for the ax man.  
  
"It's my head or Elaida's", Egwene said quietly. The sound of her voice rang in her ears; her statement sounded almost an excuse. Her eyes pleaded for anything else to look at except for that gleaming monument to Aes Sedai. This far out from the camp, the tents were those of servants. The tents themselves were small, waist high to an average sized man. The tents were unsurprisingly abandoned because of the time of day. The servants were bustling around the Aes Sedai. Finding her efforts fruitless, she turned around to see two men talking quietly amidst empty tents. One of the men could be described by having a bluff, almost uncaring face. As if the man endured much, and will do so in the future. It was none other than Gareth Bryne, general of her army. What surprised her was that the man usually made no efforts to visit the Aes Sedai camp, and often avoided it unless it was dire to enter. When he usually came it was either for meetings with Egwene or to fetch Siuan. The man who he was talking to had quick deceivingly cheerful deep green eyes, eyes with the potential for coldness. The man wore his raven black hair cut short all around, but wore it in protruding spikes moving straight up on his crown. He seemed a handsome man, however odd his hair was. Egwene could not place a nationality to him. He wore the drab clothes of a hard traveler, with a long sword at his hip, and a Nagasaki strapped to his back. His way of standing was not the bottled ferocity and violence of Warders but a whips coil. Easily relaxed, but also easily ready to lash out. Something about the strange man tugged at her. She decided to listen in through a construction of saidar. The joy of saidar filled her, and her senses became minutely sharper, considering the small amount of saidar needed. It was made of Air and should go undetected this far away from the concentration of Aes Sedai tents.  
  
".sure she is doing the right thing by laying siege to Tar Valon?" came a wispy cautious voice that could only be the strange man. It seemed he was giving a thoughtful suggestion rather than a question. "I'm not truly sure why you're asking me when the only one who can answer is the Amyrlin herself. But I think she's taken a sword she can't pickup, when she can't hold a knife right. She believes the Tower must be whole before Tarmon Gaidon.", said Bryne quietly. Bryne sounded defensive. "I don't know Bryne." said the green eyed man. There was a pause. "It seems she's picked a fight with Elaida Do Avinry A Roihan, Amyrlin Seat, Watcher of the Seals, Flame of Bloody Tar Valon and the whole world is watching out of the corner of their eyes praying they kill each other. To blood and bloody ashes to how important they'll be in the Last Battle. And Rand above it all dancing to his own music, making sure no one fights dirty." A chuckle emerged, but from which man Egwene did not know. "Elaida with the strength and advantage of holding Tar Valon but the lack of support from the Hall. The Sitters are waiting to see her fall so they can have a turn at the reins. The rebel child Amyrlin, who would have guessed it, trying to bring the Tower together again as the rebel Sitters try to fit her leash." Another chuckle, and this time she could make out the strange man clearly. Through all this, Egwene's hands between to clench into fists that grew whiter and whiter by the second. She had half a mind to turn towards the men and march over to them, to smack the man purple and heel Bryne for not coming to her support. "We have quite a mess here don't we Bryne?" the boy, she considered him now a boy, with green eyes and black hair said. "Women with never fading threatening stares and unquenchable tempers sending us to clean out the privy." The boy tutted. He actually tutted! After some silence Bryne said quietly,  
  
"Are you going to meet her? She's more formidable than you think even if young and headstrong." The last seemed a warning of imminent danger to the green eyed.boy. The other man seemed to think about it, and then said, "Young and headstrong, one and the same as you well know. She wouldn't have gotten the rebel Aes Sedai if she was one whisker less headstrong than you say. The worst type to deal with, young and headstrong, but the most attractive. Not that I would.you don't have to go for your sword, Gareth." After a considerable silence he then said more seriously, "But no, I think that would be the worst thing. Her confidence is fragile at best, and her fear for what is to come cannot overcome her now. I will not enhance it by explaining the consequences of failure. The Tower must be whole. Let her learn to walk the path of daggers as they say in the land of Seanchan, where the women are wondrous." He said that last bit with a little humor in his voice. "Anyway, I must go see the taveren Aybara. Splendid chap, I bet. I just stopped to say support your Amyrlin and help her display masterful competence in the face of upcoming events, and watch for the Borderland lords coming south." He said this as if it was very important that this was done. He didn't sound as if ordering. He sounded as if saying to watch out for that crumbling cliff. He seemed to jump to another subject by saying, "Why don't you tell Siuan how you feel? You might be surprised at her reaction. You never can tell with women. Oh! And your Amyrlin is eavesdropping on us, and I bet she is dying to talk to you. Farewell, Gareth. As they say in Shienar, may peace favor your sword." The strange man said that last with a tinge of sadness. He clasped Bryne's shoulder momentarily before walking off with a bit of a spring in his step out into the forest.  
  
Egwene thought of catching up to the man, but she could not think of what she could have said to the man. After eavesdropping on your private conversation with my general, Gareth Bryne, I'm seriously considering taking you into custody.that would not do at all, she thought sullenly. Instead, she turned to pour her wrath onto Gareth Bryne.  
  
"Meeting with scouts fresh in from Tar Valon, Lord Bryne? What news of Tar Valon and the supposed Borderland lords coming south." she said with a placid, icy, tone. She seemed to make the message clear that she would excuse him of any disrespect towards Aes Sedai and the Amyrlin Seat if he cooperated.  
  
"Very little, mother. They seemed to be drawing itself for our inevitable attack. They are too close to take up the bridge cities, so it would be considerably easier to contain the Aes Sedai in the city. I believe they mean to be well prepared for the coming siege, in fact -", just when Bryne was picking up speed to try to spirit the Amyrlin into the notions and key points to the coming siege, Egwene interrupted him abruptly.  
  
"I want to know everything you know on the man you have just spoken to. I also demand you apprehend him and detain him from leaving the Aes Sedai camp, so as to wait for Aes Sedai interrogation.", she said coldly and firmly, and with all the will of a racing avalanche. She had learned some things from the Wise Ones.  
  
"Mother, I really think that detaining him is not such a good idea." he began to say quickly, but again Egwene interrupted him.  
  
"I want to know how is manipulating my own army's general in the midst of the Aes Sedai camp, without a single Aes Sedai knowing." she said. Well.maybe with a few knowing. Those few to near sighted to share such information with the Amyrlin Seat. Those few could actually be many, she thought ironically. "I also want to know why he spreading ill ease and under confidence in not only my abilities, but also the abilities of the rightful Tower and the false Tower. You will answer now, here at the edge of a camp filled with Aes Sedai, or in a tent filled with tens of Aes Sedai. Choose Bryne, and choose quickly." Well she's on a roll isn't she, she thought. For a few seconds Bryne merely stared at her, then quickly looked towards the center of camp, and said.  
  
"He is a.wanderer with many connections and networks all across the kingdoms on this side of the Spine of the World. He has the best interests of all nations at heart, whether the best interests of the country stated is what it wants or not. He advises many key players in the game of the pattern, such as I, in times of war and evil. He only appears in times of trouble and when evil freely runs amok. He comes in times where a single Trolloc can walk the Borderlands unharmed and unchallenged. Desperate times, evil times. All information I gain from him is used for the good of the rebel Aes Sedai, of course." he added earnestly.  
  
For some time Egwene maintained silence, and then with a sudden outburst she commanded, "Whatever 'connections and networks' this man may have it is insignificant compared to those of Aes Sedai. Whatever information you may need to govern your army will come from us, with no need of additional help from.wanderers. Do I make myself clear, lord Gareth Bryne?" she said in a dismissal like tone. Bryne looked faintly skeptic and almost seemed to object when, he suddenly bowed with a curt respective "As you command, Mother." He quickly walked out into the forest towards the army camp.  
  
Egwene fumed as she saw him walk off into the forest. Her eyes lifted upward to the White Tower concealed in a dense passing fog. She turned around abruptly, and headed towards her tent. She thought sickly, where Sheriam waited and those bloody petitions. 


End file.
